


Sparring

by WhoopsieDaisies (CosmogyralVikings)



Series: Kerberos Success au [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, M/M, keith is trying his best to love shiro, pain and suffering, shiro is a hot gay mess, shiro is being Stubborn, this was inspired by LittleWhiteTie about the kerberos success au and i die
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-27
Updated: 2018-07-27
Packaged: 2019-06-17 02:07:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15451041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CosmogyralVikings/pseuds/WhoopsieDaisies
Summary: As Shiro's health begins to deteriorate, Keith refuses to treat him any differently. Shiro is not delicate, and he can stand on his own, but sometimes it helps to have someone by your side.This is a small drabble form LittleWhiteTie's kerberos success au and I fell in love with it!





	Sparring

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LittleWhiteTie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleWhiteTie/gifts).



> This is just a small snippet from [LittleWhitetie's](https://littlewhitetie.tumblr.com) kerberos au!

“Get up.” Keith told him, face red with exertion and sweat beginning to dampen his brow. Shiro was proud to make him work this hard. Keith had pulled him off his feet with a kick Shiro had been too slow to doge, he had seen it, but had not reacted in time. It was frustrating, but he tried to not let it show. 

Keith had always been a fast learner, quick to pick up new things and fighting was no different. He had already known how to defend himself, if sloppily, by the time he had arrived at the garrison. Shiro expected no less that one day Keith would outpace him in skill and ability. He tried to imagine it had more to do with being his teacher and less to do with his slowly failing body. 

Shiro pulled himself off of the mats and lowered himself into a fighting stance, center lower to the ground to minimize attacks from the smaller man that would use his size against him. He tried to give Keith a smile, but he was sure it looked more like a grimace of pain, he knew Keith wouldn’t go easy on him. He never did. Shiro hoped he knew how grateful he was for it.  

They snapped forward again, both pushing out to the other, Keith extended his fist to get a hit in, but Shiro managed to pull his arm around in time, cutting him off. Keith huffed as he backed away to strike again. Shiro could tell he was reaching his limits, but it had only been a short while and Keith had only just broken a sweat. Shiro’s chest was heaving, his muscles shaking with the strain. He couldn’t do this here, not now. 

He attacked. Keith dodged his blow and rolled away underfoot, kicking one leg out he managed to hook Shiro’s knees and bring him down to the mat. Shiro felt his head go black as the air was knocked out of him. He blinked and looked up to where Keith was still standing, looking at him with carefully concealed worry. Shiro hated it. 

“Get up.” he said, again. Shiro did, and nearly fell back over. His knees were wobbling more than they had any right to be. The anger surged in him and he tried to take a deep breath,  _ patience yields focus _ , he reminded himself. He lunged. 

He fell. 

“Get up.” he tried, and found that his arms were not going to support him, he flopped back down on the mat with defeat. Hating his body and his weakness more and more. He looked back up to Keith, standing tall and proud above him. Beautiful. 

“Shiro, get up.” Shiro could hear the strain there, the slight wobble he knew Keith tried to hide from him because he knew Shiro wasn’t fragile. He wouldn’t break, but he wasn’t infallible. He tried to pull his body underneath him and heave himself up, he stumbled and thought he would fall again, resigning himself to the embarrassment of Keith seeing him this way.  

But Keith was already there, pulling him upright and holding him secure against his side. The heat of his body was almost overwhelming, but Shiro reveled in it, feeling safe and loved. He wanted to cry. 

“Thank you,” he said, knowing it wasn’t even close to enough, but how could he even begin to tell Keith how he felt when he knew how much it would only hurt him? Shiro could not cause him any more pain than he knew he did already. He had taken Keith’s dream, his independence, and his time. He couldn't take his love too. Instead he said, “thank you, for everything.”  

“As many times as it takes,” Keith reminded him, looking up at Shiro’s slumped form with such affection that Shrio felt his legs give out a little more, “remember?” 

 

He didn’t deserve Keith. 

**Author's Note:**

> This could be a stand alone or there might be more as I'm a sucker for angst


End file.
